Bright Eyes
by karen.marie
Summary: /I'd always liked adventure./ An introspective look into Warren's life from graduation to moving out. Character-building for Pulvis et Umbra Sumus.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, hello my loves! This is Marie, otherwise known as Ski October, and I have a very special treat for all of you who've been waiting on _Pulvis._ The series is undergoing lots of changes and one of the major ones is Warren's role. In Karen's SH series, Warren is in the same grade as the others. In the movie, Karen and I both felt that Warren was older, probably a sophomore or junior. So for _Pulvis's _sake, Warren will be a grade ahead, meaning that when the series is released, Warren will not be in school with the others. But worry not - he will be a major character in the story!_

_Karen and I divvied up the workload for this little project, which will be three chapters total. This first part I wrote myself, Karen wrote part two, and we both wrote part three. We're not sure about a posting schedule yet, but these installments will probably be a week apart. But at least you all will have something to hold you over til _Pulvis _is ready(; _

_Now, without further ado, please enjoy part one!_

__**DISCLAIMER: We own nothing but the plot; Jamie belongs to Karen.**

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"Welcome, students, family and friends, faculty and staff, to the graduation ceremony of the class twenty-twelve."

Principal Powers' voice cut through the din of the stuffed gymnasium, effectively silencing the droning chatter. With a winning smile – the one she reserved for PTA meetings and school dances – she launched into the welcoming speech for the ceremony. A lot of people, surprisingly, were actually paying attention to it, too. I tried, but after a few well-rehearsed lines my interest waned.

The enormity of the situation was not lost on me – I was about to graduate. I'd leave high school behind and go out into the world. Unlike most of my classmates, I wouldn't go into the saving of the world business. Not yet, anyway. A few years of university sounded much more appealing. It was a bit daunting, moments away from being cast out into wide world on my own. Not really on my own, but I digress. Really, my only issue was that I wouldn't be spending as much time with Jamie after this summer.

A few weeks from now I'd be packing my things and moving out to Coral, the small beach town half an hour from Maxville. I was still going through with the paperwork and formalities, but I'd landed a nice apartment just steps from the beach. I'd also secured a job as a waiter for a popular seafood joint on the boardwalk. Things were changing rapidly, much the same way they had been for the past three years. It was surreal to think how much things had changed in so short a time.

All it had taken to set the ball rolling was one glance at Jamie. Aside from my mother, she was the most important person in my life. Much of the person I am now is owed to her – without Jamie I'd probably still be that angry punk kid who skulked through the hallways, wallowing in his own misery. I'm not saying she did all of that single-handedly, but she was a pretty big component of my turn-around. I caught her eye as I scanned the crowd; she was tucked in between Mom, the Strongholds, and the rest of our friends (all of whom were currently pinching and prodding each other). She smiled at me, and the pride and love that shone in the blue depths were enough to leave me breathless. With Jamie the novelty never wore off – every look, touch, kiss, smile was as exhilarating as the first.

A couple of speeches had been made by now and currently our valedictorian, Oliver Spence, was speaking. I didn't catch all of it – I wasn't much for speeches – but most of it was the usual clichéd spiel. Remember the experiences you've had and the friends you've made; apply your life skills; tip your waitress. Yes, he really said that. But we all laughed, because Oliver was the kind of guy who could make anything sound funny. Along with those words of wisdom were a few inside jokes from our years past, like The Great Flood (that bathroom was out of order for nearly two months) and the time the Mackenzie twins set loose a radioactive field mouse (best impromptu school holiday _ever_).

When his speech was over, Powers reclaimed the podium and spoke a few more words before beginning the procession. I watched as, one by one, the occupants of the entire first row were called up to the stage. Powers handed each of them their diploma and treated them to a firm hug. I watched them all come and go, these people I had known but not known for the past four years. Much of my time with other people had been spent behind my imaginary walls, hiding myself away from all the stares and whispers. That had, of course, not lasted long once my sophomore year got going. I wasn't sure if I had ever put any stock into the common belief that I'd turn out like my father, but I was never sure that I wouldn't, either. After helping save the school, it was nice to know where I stood – even better to know I was on the right path.

Something else that had come along after meeting Jamie and her lot was the renewal of my faith. I'd been raised a nondenominational Christian since I could understand what it meant, but after my dad fell to villainy and my mom and I were left alone to face the ridicule and mistrust of society, Super or otherwise, my belief in and relationship with God had all but crumbled. But after Jamie came into the picture, how could I not believe? How could I have any doubt when so wonderful and brilliant and caring a girl – nearly a woman, now – had blessed me with her love and respect? It was Jamie, too, who had gone with me to the church in the center of town, the one I used to attend with my parents. She was with me every step of the way as I slowly rebuilt the more deep-set pieces of my life.

"Chase Larsen."

It almost felt like the nine years of my life spent being angry and miserable hadn't even happened. Picturing my life before Jamie and my friends was hard for me to do now. But I knew it was real; the memories were tucked into the back of my mind for me to pull up and analyze when I couldn't sleep at night. I was no longer bitter, which was an immense relief; I could accept what had happened and be thankful that my life had turned out the way it had. I had my mother, I had Jamie – Will and my friends. I even had Steve and Josie, the former turning out to be, despite his thickness, a pretty good father to me.

"Rebecca McCloud."

My own father would never see real freedom again, and while I was sad to think of never having a real relationship with him, I realized it was better than the alternative. I hadn't visited him since before his last escape, when he had tried to hurt Jamie. That, in the end, was what hardened me toward him. He could have picked anyone else, any other hapless civilian, but because it was Jamie, I could never forgive him. With Steve, though, it wasn't bad. Whenever he took Will out to a ballgame or a camping trip, I was always invited to come along; I was expected to go, really. I'd always had my mom with me, loving and protecting and raising me on her own, but there were some things that, as a mother, she would never be able to do. Like "toss around the pigskin" while steaks grilled nearby (I was the only one who never burnt them, ironically). And so it was nice to have that kind of father-son relationship. Since I planned on marrying Jamie when the time was right, it didn't hurt to get used to being father and son anyway.

"Ryne Olsen."

My life had really come together, it seemed, just in time for me to become a real adult. I wondered what it would be like – having my own place, supporting myself. After the events of the past years it felt like I was finally being dealt a hand of normalcy. It was a relief, and as I watched my classmates rise to take their big first step, I was overwhelmed with emotion and anticipation. I would miss Sky High, though I'd never admit it to anyone but Jamie. I had changed here, my life had found its track here. Every moment spent at this school had been a key turning point in my life. Embarrassingly, I thought I might actually cry over it. But I was Warren Peace, and Warren Peace did not cry.

He smirked.

"Warren Peace."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Ohai! It's me, Blue-Winter-Angel! I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this. In all honesty, I completely forgot it was my turn - whoops! Marie has pretty much explained the important stuff already, so I don't really have anything interesting to say, except that she's a pleasure to write with... when we actually find time to write. We're doing our best to find time to plan out and hopefully start working on Pulvis again, but with her being in her last year of school and me job hunting, and not to mention that we live in different countries and there's a huge time difference between us... well, it's tricky. **

**Anyway, I got given the wonderful task of writing about Warren packing up to move out of home. I've written Warren in first person before, but it had been a while, so to be able to get back into his head after such a long time was a wonderful experience. He's just as lovely - if not a little difficult - as I remember. Also, for those of you who don't recognize Michelle, she's a character from my series. She's all kinds of lovely.**

**Enjoy!**

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"Where do you want these, honey?"

I sealed the box in front of me with a strip of tape and looked up at my mother who was holding a collection of photo frames from my desk. "In that box over there." I nodded toward an open box by my bedroom door. "There's some bubble wrap in there if you want to wrap them beforehand."

She smiled and crossed the room to the aforementioned box. "Bubble wrap? You're being awfully careful with these things."

I chuckled and reached for another box, half filled with books. It wasn't so much the frames I was worried about, but the photos that resided behind the glass; precious moments of my life that had been frozen in time with the simple push of a button. If it was within my power to protect those keepsakes, I would.

"Oh, look at this one," mom said, holding up a delicate frame with one of my favorite photos inside it.

I smiled at the close-up shot of Jamie's face. She was all bright eyes, smiles and loveliness. My chest constricted a little as I stared at her picture, her throaty laugh echoing in my ears.

"She's such a wonderful girl," mom continued, turning the photo towards her and gently touching her fingers to the glass before reaching for the bubble wrap.

"Yeah, she is."

If there was one thing about this move that I wasn't looking forward to, it was being separated from Jamie. Not that we were never going to see each other, but I had become so used to seeing her every day and holding her during the night. Things were going to be different now, and while I knew we would be fine, it would definitely take some getting used to.

I let my thoughts wander as I finished filling the next box, sealing it with tape and writing BOOKS on the side. We had been packing for the last few hours and were close to being finished.

I still couldn't quite believe I was done with school, let alone moving away from home. I was also set to start my new job early next week. It was definitely a step up from my job at the Paper Lantern. I was still a waiter, mind you, but the pay was better and there were a few cool perks that came with the territory. I was very much looking forward to living by the beach, as well. While I was nervous about living on my own, I was looking forward to having my own freedom and independence.

Besides, I got the feeling I wouldn't be on my own for more than a few days. My friends would no doubt be over whenever I wasn't working, and possibly even when I was.

They had all tagged along when I went furniture shopping the week before, Will's logic being that if he was going to be hanging out at my place, he needed to be surrounded by furniture that wasn't completely ugly. The best part was that comment earned him at least an hour of relentless teasing from everyone else, with suggestions that he should study Interior Design once he graduated.

I was shaken from my thoughts by mom's loud exhalation as she finished taping the box and stretched her arms high above her head. "Well, that's pretty much everything." She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "Was there anything else you wanted to take?"

I looked around the room and couldn't help but be startled by how empty it looked. I had gotten a new bed so the one here would stay just in case anyone needed it, but apart from that there wasn't much left. It was a little sad to see it in such a state; this had been my room since I was a toddler. It had changed as I moved through different phases of my life and had always been my sanctuary when I needed time to myself. I wasn't expecting to feel quite so emotional about leaving it all behind. But, as I had to keep reminding myself, I wasn't leaving it forever. It would always be here, waiting for me whenever I needed it.

"Warren?"

My head whipped back to mom who was watching me openly now, a knowing smile on her face. "Pardon?"

Her eyes crinkled a bit at the corners as her smile grew. "Was there anything else you wanted to take with you?"

I pursed my lips in thought, mentally scanning the house for anything I wanted to have in mine. "No, I think that's pretty much it." At least my new place wouldn't be without a mother's touch. She had given me almost a dozen of her paintings to hang up on the walls. Jay would be thrilled; she was a big fan of mom's work.

"Okay. Do you want to take this down to my car now or wait until tomorrow?" She glanced at the boxes scattered around the room and shook her head. Perhaps Layla would let us borrow her car, or Jamie could use her parents', otherwise it was going to take at least two trips to get all this stuff to the apartment.

"I suppose we could move some of it downstairs," I replied. "Although it's not necessary right now. We can always do it tomorrow when there are a few extra hands around the house."

She chuckled to herself and waved a dismissive hand. "I think I've had enough heavy lifting for one day. It's getting late, anyway. What do you feel like for dinner? We could always eat out."

I rose from the bed and followed her as she left the room and made a beeline for the stairs. "Eating out is fine. I can go by the diner and pick up some burgers or something," I offered.

"That sounds great, although you don't have to go just yet. Sit down and relax, honey. Do you want a drink or anything?"

"Some juice would be nice." I watched as she took the last few steps and wandered into the kitchen. Golden light spilled out from the fridge as the door opened and I smiled to myself as she shivered from the cold air. She often joked about needing to wear a jumper when she opened the fridge; I didn't see what the big deal was. Jamie's skin was cold, too, yet I didn't complain. In all honesty, the contrast in temperature was kind of nice. To her, my skin was burning hot, yet she was the soothing balm to my overheated body.

We balanced each other out rather nicely.

Mom and I sat in silence at the kitchen island, sipping thoughtfully from our drinks and staring aimlessly into space. I loved my relationship with my mother; for a long time we were all the other had and that had brought us together and forged a bond stronger than what most boys had with their mothers. Nowadays we were part of a huge, yet absolutely wonderful miss-matched family.

It was nice to know that even though I wouldn't be living here anymore, mom still had the Strongholds to keep her company. She and Josie were the best of friends. There was little in the world that was more important to me than my mother's happiness, so it was great to see the sister she'd found in Josie.

God, I was so sentimental today.

I grimaced and drained the contents of my glass before looking over to mom who surprisingly enough, had tears in her eyes. I was out of my chair in an instant and walking around the island to place my hands on her shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, honey. I just got to thinking about how this is pretty much your last night here and it got me feeling a little emotional." She gave me a weak smile and my heart lurched as her bottom lip quivered. "I can't believe how much you've grown. I don't think I'm ready for you to leave."

"Oh, mom," I sighed and pulled her into my arms, feeling the warmth of her tears soak into my shirt. She was so small and fragile, her head barely reaching my shoulder. "It's okay. You know I won't be far away."

"I know, I know," she sniffed, her voice cracking. "No mother wants to be separated from her child, but I know that this is what you need." She leaned back to look up at me. "I'm so proud of you, Warren. You've become such an amazing young man and I know you'll go far. It's just… every time I look at you, I still see the toddler playing on the mat in front of the TV, the ten year old with the scraped up knees, the seventeen year old who was just discovering the joys of first love." She hiccupped and I felt the backs of my eyes sting with the threat of tears. Mom had always been a crier, but this was really getting to her and the raw emotion I saw on her face was heartbreaking.

"Mom…" I felt my lips pull down at the corners, my face working to keep my own emotions in check.

"I'm sorry." She laughed at herself and rubbed at her eyes. "I guess what I'm saying is, no matter where you go or what you do, you'll always be my little boy."

I took a shaky breath and pulled her close, resting my chin atop her head as she wrapped her arms around my torso. "I love you, mom. I don't tell you enough, but I do."

"I know you do, Warren. I love you, too." We held each other for a little while longer before she pulled away and leaned back against the island. "Okay, that's enough of that. How about we go get ourselves some dinner, huh?"

I smiled at her, grimacing a little as she reached up to ruffle my hair. Despite getting a little teary, her words were exactly what I needed to find the courage and strength to go out into the world and do my best. Her faith gave me hope for the future and all that came with it.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hey lovelies! Yes, we're finally back to post the last chapter :) Well, really, it's just me. Marie is very busy with school right now and has since fallen a bit behind, so she's taking a few weeks to get herself back on track, which I wholly approve of. She wanted me to let you know that she adores you all and deeply appreciates your enthusiasm for this series; and she's sorry for being such a bum. No really, she said that! I swear! *grins* We're behind you every step of the way, honey! Come back to us soon :)**

**Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this. We collaborated on this chapter and oh my goodness, it was so much fun. As for Pulvis? We're hoping to get back to it soon - once we find some free time, that is ;) I can't wait for you all to read it. It's going to be a very big adventure for all of us! In the meantime, happy reading!**

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"Just for the record, I'm never leaving."

I chuckled and turned my face into Jamie's hair, the two of us lounging peacefully in the hammock I had strung up between two beams on the back patio. She had come over earlier in the morning to help me unpack the last of my things, after which we rewarded ourselves with a swim in the clear water of the beach a short walk from my back door.

I couldn't have been happier with my apartment. It was all deep colors and open, connected rooms with a back wall made entirely of glass with shutters that came down when the weather was bad. All in all, it was pretty damn perfect. I was looking forward to making a life here.

Jamie shifted a bit on the hammock and sent us swaying again, the gentle rocking motion plus the warm sun that beat down on us was enough to send you to sleep. "I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed."

I smiled against her hair, the scent of sea salt lingering among the dark strands. "You feel a bit warm," I said, running my hand down her arm. She sighed and curled into me. "You might want to put some more sun block on; I don't want you to burn."

She grumbled against my chest. "I couldn't care less right now. I'd happily walk around looking like a lobster if it meant I didn't have to get up."

"And I thought Will was lazy."

"He is lazy."

"You're definitely giving him a run for his money."

She gave up her argument with a barely understandable mumble and peered up at me with those big blue eyes of hers. The gold flecks woven through the irises glimmered and sparked in the reflection of the sun, the black acting as a shade from the heat, a cooling swath of shadow from the love that burned in her gaze. She was so beautiful. "What?" she asked and I quickly realized I had been staring.

"Nothing," I replied with a sheepish smile. "You've got something on your face, that's all."

She blinked. "I do? Where?"

I pursed my lips, enjoying the mildly panicked expression on her face. "Hmm… right here." I pressed a finger to her bottom lip, trying hard not to laugh as her eyes narrowed. "Want me to get rid of it for you?"

She huffed. "We both know there's nothing there, smart ass. But I'll happily take a kiss."

I smiled and propped myself up on my elbows, meeting her halfway as she stretched up to kiss me. Our lips met and warmth flowed through me from the point of contact, tightening my stomach and making my fingers tingle with the desire to hold her. She sighed into my mouth before pulling away, only to press more feather-light kisses against my lips. Her bare stomach pressed against my side and I felt the muscles contract as she giggled.

"You're such a softy today," she teased. "What's up?"

I lowered myself back down and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm happy, that's all. Leave me alone, woman."

She grinned, revealing two small dimples on her cheeks and stretched out beside me, her hand coming to rest on my stomach. Despite how happy and relaxed she seemed, there had been a certain twist to her mouth during the morning, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. She had yet to bring it up and I knew she was probably trying to hide it from me, not wanting to take away from the peaceful nature of our day. I decided it was worth the risk to ask.

"You may as well tell me what's been bothering you all day," I said, enjoying the startled look that crossed her face. "You know I'll find out somehow anyway."

She sputtered. "I don't know what you're talking about, Warren. I think you've had too much saltwater."

I huffed a laugh. "Right. Jamie, you're a terrible liar. Especially when you're lying to me." I watched her shift around uncomfortably for a moment or two. "Hey, whatever it is, I won't laugh at you, or get upset. Just tell me."

She frowned, her eyebrows dipping in a way I had always found adorable, and sighed. "Last night, Mom and Dad told us that we'd be getting a foster kid soon. A girl, sometime in the next few weeks."

I could admit that I was surprised. Steve and Josie weren't old by any means, but another child seemed like a bit much. "Wow. How old is she?"

"Seventeen or eighteen. She's coming from the Agency, too, so she'll be at school with us. Mom didn't tell us very much about her – I know that she lost her parents when she was young, and she's pretty much been a nomad since then. Her name is Dana."

"Pretty name," I observed idly.

"Yeah, it is. I don't know her power, although I may have used my advanced hearing to listen to Mom and Dad talk after Will and I went up to bed." She looked sheepish, but I only smiled. Crafty girl. "There's something... different about her. Everyone's being way too secretive about this girl, and I feel like there's some big thing that I'm not seeing. I don't want to feel suspicious, but there it is."

"Well, suspicion isn't too unreasonable. A strange girl that none of you really know is coming to _live _with you, and your parents are keeping it a bit hush-hush. I'd be a little suspicious, too." I tilted her face up and smiled at her. "For now, just try to think of it as you and Will getting a new sister."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure Will would love having another female to deal with. But... a sister does sound nice. And maybe I'm wrong – Dana could be just another Super who needs a home. Maybe she and I will be best friends."

"That's the spirit," I chuckled. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, and we were able to relax a little more easily after that.

Later, though, hours after Jamie had gone home, something nagged at the back of my mind. I was trying to get through one of the books Layla had given me as a housewarming present, but it may as well have been useless. I thought back to our talk of Dana, the mysterious orphan. I didn't think that she would be a bad addition to our family or anything, but Jamie's words of missing something important and being suspicious had stirred something up. There was a shallow pit in my stomach that made me frown. I tried to shrug off the heavier thoughts and look on the bright side of things. A homeless girl would get a family, we'd all get a new sister. I was only mostly successful.

Brought back to my thoughts during graduation, I smiled at how quickly things were changing yet again. Sitting alone in my new apartment, the nail was really driven in. Things were different now, and they would be different all over again when this new girl came into our lives. It was unsettling at times, just how fast everything was going and that I really couldn't do anything to slow it all down. Mostly it was exciting – seeing where I'd end up next; the hows, whens, and whys. It was like a never-ending adventure.

I marked my page and left the book on the coffee table to read again in the morning; maybe I'd have better luck after eight hours of sleep and a cup of coffee. Too lazy to dig up pajamas, I stripped to my boxers and flopped down on my bed. Sleep crept up pretty quickly, and even though I was still thinking about what Jamie had said, there was no delaying it. The last conscious thought I had was that, with Dana's arrival, would likely come the most erratic mess of an adventure we'd ever had.

But I'd always liked adventure.

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**And there you have it :) We'd love to hear your thoughts.**

**xx**


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